Brewologist: Doesn't matter if brewers are monks or magicians: Drink the Blood

Mar. 9, 2011

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Sometimes a beer generates a buzz. Sometimes that pays off for me, sometimes it doesn't. This time it did.

The beer is called Monk's Blood, a vampiric name that intrigued me from the start -- and not just because I'm a vampire fan. I've read Bram Stoker's "Dracula" more times than I can count (no pun intended), and I've seen plenty of cinematic neck-biting. I've been known to watch some very cheesy movies just to get a vampire fix. But it wasn't the word "blood" that got my attention. It was the word "monk's."

That word signals an abbey ale, a rich earthy brew modeled after the ales produced in Belgian monasteries. These beers can vary quite a bit in style, aroma and taste; each is a unique drinking experience. If the beer is actually brewed by monks, it is called a Trappist ale. If it is brewed by someone else, but inspired by the beers brewed by monks, it is called an abbey ale. Either description tends to get my attention.

Add all that to the intrigue produced by online beer people waxing poetic about this beer from 21st Amendment Brewery, and it was pretty much a date with destiny as far as I am concerned. My previous experience with 21st Amendment -- the deliciously hoppy Brew Free or Die India pale ale -- made it a cinch.

Monk's Blood, like other 21st Amendment offerings, comes in cans. Other breweries have gone that route, and more will follow, and you old-school craft beer fans should not let that fact slow you down even a little. New can technology is able to handle a delicious, flavorful beer, and it reduces shipping costs. I've noticed no detrimental effects whatsoever, and once upon a time I would have rather gone without beer than open a can.

I will certainly open more cans of Monk's Blood. I think they could have called it Monk's Blood, Sweat, Tears and Magic, because it is obvious that a lot went into this brew.

Let's start with the pour. The beer is a rich mahogany hue, brownish with red highlights. It forms a thick head with no effort on your part; indeed, you'll want to pour it carefully.

I recommend a snifter or tulip glass, something designed to concentrate the aroma. Monk's Blood has a subtle, bread-like scent. Deep inhalation reveals honey, almonds, fruit and nuts. I found it to be very enticing -- a siren call, if you will.

The first sip does not disappoint. All the flavors of the aroma are there, along with a peppery something. The specialty ingredients constitute a roster of delicious flavors: cinnamon, vanilla, figs and Belgian candi sugar. Oak aging lends to the complex flavor, too. No one flavor dominates; it's all a blend.

What does dominate is the malt character. Monk's Blood incorporates a variety of malts, from Belgian Pilsener to flaked wheats and oats. There are eight malts, according to the website, and the result is a beer you can almost chew. That's a good thing, in my book. The malts impart a sweetness, too. There is a bit of a wine-vibe in Monk's Blood, but there is enough malt character to make sure you never forget you're drinking a beer.

Monk's Blood might disappoint a hophead. Three hops varieties are used, and they balance the malty sweetness quite nicely, but the malts and special ingredients are the stars here. The ale is not especially bitter.

This is a brew made for winter, and it would be excellent with a meal of savory meats and rich holiday desserts. A steak with lots of pepper would be a good match, too, or a rich Yankee pot roast. I'd also be willing to try this beer with a big hunk of pumpernickel, toasted and drenched with melted butter. If you like the crackers, sausages and flavorful cheese combo, by all means pour some Monk's Blood to go with it.

Of course, if you don't feel like cooking or cutting or washing a lot of dishes, this brew can be enjoyed all by itself along with some good company or deep thinking.

Steve Goble is a copy editor and a beer snob. You can discuss beer on his blog at MansfieldNewsJournal.com/beer, or by following him on Twitter at twitter.com/ brewologist. Brewologist is also on Facebook.